Consultant Helps Democrats Embrace Faith, and Some in Party Are Not Pleased

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: Consultant Helps Democrats Embrace Faith, and Some in Party Are Not Pleased
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
Published: December 26, 2006

As Democrats turn toward the 2008 presidential race, a novice evangelical political operative is emerging as a rising star in the party, drawing both applause and alarm for her courtship of theological conservatives in the midterm elections.

Party strategists and nonpartisan pollsters credit the operative, Mara Vanderslice, and her 2-year-old consulting firm, Common Good Strategies, with helping a handful of Democratic candidates make deep inroads among white evangelical and churchgoing Roman Catholic voters in Kansas, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Exit polls show that Ms. Vanderslice’s candidates did 10 percentage points or so better than Democrats nationally among those voters, who make up about a third of the electorate. As a group, Democrats did little better among those voters than Senator John Kerry’s campaign did in 2004....

***

Democratic officials in several states said Ms. Vanderslice and her business partner, Eric Sapp, pushed sometimes reluctant Democrats to speak publicly, early and in detail about the religious underpinnings of their policy views. They persuaded candidates to speak at conservative religious schools and to buy early commercials on Christian radio. They organized meetings and conference calls for candidates to speak privately with moderate and conservative members of the clergy....

But Ms. Vanderslice’s efforts to integrate faith into Democratic campaigns troubles some liberals, who accuse her of mimicking the Christian right....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/26/us/politics/26faith.html

[snowbear]

1. Well.... in a big tent... we can't keep everyone happy!!

When I was wrapping gifts last night, I was watching Meet the Press. Tim Russert was talking to Pastor Rick Warren and some dude from Time or Newsweek (I don't remember which)..

They showed that clip of Senator Barack Obama when he and Senator Brownback were invited to Warren's mega church.. Evidently, a lot of the evangelical members weren't (initially) keen on Barack being invited.. but that clip was amazing!!



When Brownback gets up to introduce himself, he acts "Holier than thou" and starts his opening comments with "Welcome to MY house"..

Senator Obama immediately cuts him off and says ""Excuse me -- this is my house too. This is God's house. This is OUR house!! I hope you don't mind the modest correction Senator."

I was shocked because the church went wild screaming, cheering, and clapping for Obama after that.

And Brownback just stood there like a total IDIOT..

--- ---

It was like one of those "I knew John Kennedy, and you are NO John Kennedy" moments.

The pastor that was on there made some excellent points about why Christians are going back to topics like the poor and homeless, and are getting away from more divisive topics like abortion.

Remember.. Rove and Bush had a FAKE faith-based group set up in the WH. They are terrified of people like Barack Obama because Christians love him.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. Wow! I hadn't heard that story about Obama's appearance. Thanks for posting. nt

[snowbear]

3. Well.. it made me realize how Barack doesn't take ANY flak at all...

And he's not afraid to speak his mind. = =

I have a feeling that try as they may (and they'll try) Barack may just be "un-swift-boatable"

Ok.. so that's not a word. But you know what I mean..

[DeepModem Mom]

4. Yep -- he's very good, and very smart. nt

[Lasher]

6. The more I see of Obama, the more I like him.

And two years is a very long time as far as polls are concerned, so he just might win the nomination if he keeps this up.

But Brownback was a total weenie for saying what he did. What a maroon! It was so pompous, I imagine a hush fell over the congregation. Obama was right to call him on it.

[lvx35]

5. Yep. I think a lot of faith based groups are ripe for the picking.

And Barack is a fine one to do it...

[longship]

7. I am most uncomfortable with this.

God and government do not belong together. It's the first and foremost principle of our great republic.

Leave your silly gods out of this. That means you, Barack Obama.

[acmejack]

9. Your morals will see you abandoned.

You have no place in the win at all costs politics of today. Electability is the keyword-say anything, be anything, do anything-just win. It doesn't matter what you stand for, why it is fine to be a Conservative Republican your entire life and switch Parties at the last minute because you can't win your own Party's nomination (See Kansas for examples) and you will be welcomed to the fold like a long lost brother, especially if you make the difference toward a majority! Honor among thieves and all that.

It certainly is difficult to keep from becoming a total cynic, there are those who will do absolutely anything to sit in Office-ANYTHING!

[CarbonDate]

8. I have no problem....

...with mobilizing Christians for progressive causes as long as it isn't a stealth movement to shut atheists and religious minorities out of the party the way the Republicans did.